THE old Marks & Spencer store in the heart of Nuneaton town centre is finally being re-opened.

After standing empty for 18 months, the prominent Market Place building is to be taken over by Poundland.

The company operates 400 outlets throughout the UK and already has a busy branch in Nuneaton, in Abbey Street.

The announcement of the new Nuneaton store did not reveal the exact location, but a contractor on site in the former M&S building said: “It’s definitely Poundland. Work will begin this week on fitting the place out. The sales area will be confined to the ground floor, with staff offices upstairs.”

A planning application for signage was submitted to the borough council last month with documents showing the Poundland name at the front and rear of the premises.

The Poundland statement said: “We will be able to confirm the location, the number of jobs created and the opening dates in a couple of weeks’ time.

“To mark the occasion, there will be a family fun day with a well-known celebrity.”

The company had at one time been linked with moving into the council-owned former Woolworths store in Queen’s Road, which had been taken over by TJ Hughes before the firm went bust in June 2010.

Negotiations between Poundland and the council fell through but another national chain has now been lined up as new tenants, to create even more local jobs.

The closure of the M&S store in January 2011 ended 78 years of trading in Nuneaton.

Coun Julie Jackson, deputy leader of the council, said: “The news that Poundland will soon be opening in Nuneaton is fantastic for residents and visitors as they are one of the biggest retailers in Europe.”